plate no. 3743

St. Gregory the Great

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitfigureportraitbookreligious figurerobehat

recreation guide

Francisco Goya’s 'St. Gregory the Great' (1797) represents a pivotal moment in his career, bridging his role as a court painter with the emerging Romantic sensibility that would define his later work. As a portrait, the work intends to achieve a recognizable likeness of the sitter, serving as a record of appearance while potentially reflecting the artist’s internal state following his severe illness in 1793 (Source 5, Source 7). Goya is often characterized as the 'last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns,' suggesting a technique that respects traditional oil painting methods while pushing toward expressive freedom (Source 5). The recreation should focus on the structural integrity of the portrait and the nuanced handling of light and color, consistent with the high standards of the Spanish court where Goya served as Prime Court Painter by 1799 (Source 5).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	High-quality artist-grade oils
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil blend)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as cited in Reynolds’ method which Goya’s contemporaries practiced	Stand oil or a mix of linseed oil and damar varnish
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Charcoal or Conté crayon	Underdrawing	Vine charcoal or graphite

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil ground on canvas. Goya, working within the tradition of the Old Masters, likely utilized a white or light-toned ground to facilitate the handling of light and shadow, though specific records for this painting are absent. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the fine finish characteristic of court portraiture (Source 4).

underdrawing

Begin with a loose but accurate underdrawing to establish the likeness. Portrait painting requires distinct skills for painting a good likeness, which took centuries to refine (Source 7). Goya’s early career involved Rococo-style tapestry cartoons, suggesting a comfort with linear design, but his later work shows a looser, more expressive hand. Use charcoal to block in the major forms and facial features, ensuring the composition is balanced (Source 8).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia or a similar medium. This method, described by Sir Joshua Reynolds and practiced by old masters, involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure first (Source 1). This step is crucial for managing the 'modifications of the light on the model' (Source 2).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine

Underpainting and cool shadows; Goya’s palette often relied on strong blues for depth

White

Lead white or titanium white

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Underpainting and deep shadows

Red Ochre/Vermilion

Red earth tones

Glazing over the grisaille to introduce warmth and flesh tones

Yellow Ochre

Yellow earth tones

Glazing to introduce warmth and highlights

composition

The composition should center the subject, utilizing the elements of design such as line, shape, and value to guide the viewer’s eye (Source 8). While specific details of St. Gregory’s pose are not described in the sources, Goya’s portraits typically emphasize the psychological presence of the sitter. The arrangement should avoid 'smallness' and instead focus on broad masses, a technique recommended for copying works like Reynolds’ portraits to check tendencies toward over-modeling (Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the likeness using charcoal, focusing on the structural proportions of the face and body.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is recognizable, as this is the primary intent of portrait painting (Source 7).
Linear design

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of values from dark to light.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing with transparent coats of red and yellow tones using oil.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to achieve a grey bloom or coldness if needed.
Tip — Be aware that scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the likeness and adjust color harmonies. Use complementary colors to enhance intensity or soften tones as needed.
Tip — If a color is too pronounced, soften it by surrounding it with objects of the same color, more intense. If too pale, use a complementary background (Source 3).
Simultaneous contrast

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used by old masters to build up color and tone. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque layers. This method was widely practiced by the old masters, contrary to modern prejudice (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that colors affect each other when placed side by side. For example, red beside blue verges on orange. This helps in accurately perceiving and imitating the modifications of light and color (Source 2, Source 3).

Copying for Correction

Copying works by masters like Reynolds or Velazquez can help correct weaknesses such as over-modeling or being too tied to outlines (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling: Being too tied to outlines or small details, which can make the painting appear stiff. Copying works like Reynolds’ 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' can help check this tendency (Source 4).
→Ignoring Color Interaction: Failing to account for simultaneous contrast, where colors appear different depending on their neighbors. This can lead to inaccurate color perception (Source 2).
→Premature Glazing: Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the monochrome foundation (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of 'St. Gregory the Great' (e.g., exact clothing, background, facial expression) are not described in the provided sources.
·Goya’s specific palette for this painting is not detailed; the guide relies on general Old Master practices and Goya’s broader stylistic context.
·The exact medium Goya used for this specific work is not confirmed, though oil of copavia is cited as a contemporary method.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting and glazing techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to Correcting technical weaknesses
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast
The Science of Painting↗
- 4 — applied to Color modification and harmony